UPDATE 5/11/2018: A week after the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island began sending smoke and gas into the air and opening fissures in the ground along the volcano’s slopes, officials worry the worst is yet to come with a major eruption possible. The lava level in Kilauea’s main crater Halemaʻumaʻu continues to recede at an alarming pace and rockfalls from the crater walls have generated small ash clouds. If the lava level drops below the underground water table, it could trigger a much more violent explosion, sending giant plumes of ash up to 20,000 feet in the air and projectiles the size of refrigerators tumbling down its slopes, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The government agency says it could erupt in a matter of days or weeks. During the last major eruption of Kilauea, in 1924, the ejection of ash and large boulders continued in a series of eruptions that lasted around two weeks and ash fell as far away as Hilo, today home to one of the island’s two major airports. The USGS is advising those in the area to read its guidelines online about how to mitigate the effects of volcanic ash.

So far, some 2,000 people have been evacuated from the communities of Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens, as fifteen individual fissure vents in the ground spewed lava hundreds of feet in the air and released noxious sulfur dioxide into the air. Thirty-six structures, including over two dozen homes, have been destroyed and around 117 acres of land is still covered in lava, according to a report from Hawaii County’s Civil Defense. Even as volcanic activity in the East Rift Zone has quieted down, the hazardous fumes in the air has rendered entire communities off-limits. Officials indefinitely closed the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to the public on Friday. Officials still say that the most hazardous effects of any larger eruption should be limited to the relatively sparsely populated area around the volcano.

As of right now, popular resorts such as the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Fairmont Orchid, and Hilton Waikoloa Village appear to be operating as normal—they’re on the island’s western coast, about 100 miles from Kilauea. While both of Big Island’s airports—Hilo and Kona—remain open and flights haven’t been largely disrupted by ash clouds yet, it’s worth checking with your tour operator or hotel to learn of any disruptions before you travel as conditions could change quickly. Hawaiian Airlines announced that guests traveling to/from/via Hilo or Kona airports between May 3 and May 13 can make a one-time change to their reservation without any of the associated fees.

Original story published May 3 continues below:

Hundreds of magnitude 2.0 to 4.0 earthquakes—250 in the last 24 hours—have been rocking Hawaii’s Big Island near the Kilauea volcano, indicating that the world’s most active volcano is living up to its name. The United States Geological Survey says that an increase of lava bubbling up to the surface is the likely scenario here. Travelers heading to the Big Island, or any of the Hawaiian islands, should be warned of the impact of the volcano’s heightened activity, but at this point it shouldn’t prevent you from taking your much needed beach vacation.

So far, the USGS expects the lava (should it come to the surface) to impact the Big Island’s East Rift Zone, or southeastern tip below Hilo. According to the government agency, lava is already flowing under the ground of Highway 130, the mostly residential area’s main thoroughfare. There are a number of vacation homes in the area, so be sure to check on conditions with your host if your stay is occurring in the next week. The area is preparing for evacuation, the mayor’s office reports, should the lava burst up to the surface, but there’s also no way to pinpoint exactly where the lava would erupt. So far, none of our Readers’ Choice Award-winning resorts are reporting any disruptions, as they’re all located relatively distant from the volcano, on the northwestern edge of the Big Island.

The main impact to tourists will be access to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, about 15,600 acres of which is closed to visitors. “The recent eruption changes and increased seismicity around the East Rift Zone and Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent may threaten land and the community outside the park. Most of the park, which is 333,308 acres in size, remains open,” said park superintendent Cindy Orlando in a statement Tuesday.

Kilauea’s status as the most active volcano in the world—it’s been continuously erupting since 1983—is part of the tourist draw to the Big Island. Its eruptions are often slow and stunning. One such eruption even created a lava waterfall last year, pouring 1,600-degree glowing, melted rock into the Pacific. While the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent (where this eruption is stemming from) is in that closed acreage, the actual summit of Kilauea is still open to the public. Its main crater, Halema‘uma‘u, just saw a surge in lava, to the point where some has been spilling out the top, and is best seen from the Jaggar Museum overlook, the National Park Service says.

This is a developing story and has been updated.

Thank you Eve Bernstein

Kilauea continued to erupt wildly on Hawaii’s Big Island this week, shooting lava hundreds of feet into the air and burning homes to the ground.

As of Sunday night, 10 fissure vents were open in the area and at least 26 homes had been destroyed, according to the county civil-defense agency. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said some of the lava was shooting 330 feet into the air — higher than the tip of the Statue of Liberty’s torch, The Washington Post reported Monday morning.

Even more outbreaks are expected in the coming days, according to the USGS.

While it seems very sudden and unpredictable, this outpouring of molten earth has been looming for weeks. Kilauea has a history of burning Hawaii’s forests — and a few neighborhoods — to the ground.

Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983

It only makes the news every once in a while, but this volcano has been actively erupting along its East Rift Zone for more than three decades. Sometimes the activity is lowkey, and other times it prompts the evacuation of nearby subdivisions.

Kilauea’s main caldera has a lake of lava that periodically rises to the surface, so it usually gets a lot of attention. The National Park visitor center and hotel — Volcano House — are on the rim of the caldera. But a smaller cinder cone to the east is where all of the recent action is. Pu`u O`o formed at the beginning of the 1983 eruption, although the activity has since moved away from the cinder cone along the East Rift Zone.

It has more than two dozen craters

Unlike stereotypical volcanoes — tall with a clear peak and a caldera on top — Kilauea is relatively low-elevation (above sea level) and has several craters that mark its history of eruptions. The Kilauea caldera is the main crater, but there are more than 10 other craters on the volcano, mainly along its East Rift Zone.

It’s probably the world’s most active volcano

“World’s most active volcano” is difficult to objectively measure, but geologists don’t seem to have a problem ranking it at the top. Kilauea’s longest period of inactivity was just 18 years between 1934 and 1952.

Other volcanoes that compete for this title are Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland, Mount Etna in Sicily and Sakurajima in Japan.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the earliest established

The National Park Service was established in 1916, and Volcanoes National Park was designated just a few weeks earlier. It was the 15th national park designated, preceded only by other similarly famous parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite and Crater Lake.

There was once a golf course on the volcano

The old clubhouse is still standing, just east of the visitor center, with a couple of rooms that golfers would stay in overnight. The 19th hole was the caldera.

People used to lounge around on the crater rim

Chilling on the edge of a notoriously active volcano? Sulfur dioxide hanging heavy in the air? No big deal! These were brave souls, but to be fair, they didn’t know much about volcanoes back then. If you tried to do this now, you’d be kicked out of the park and fined.

Kilauea is home to Pele, goddess of the volcano

Pelehonuamea, to be exact. “She who shapes the sacred land.” In Hawaiian myth and culture, Pele is the goddess of fire and volcano and devours the Big Island when she is perturbed. She has a wicked temper and she made her home in the Halema’uma’u crater.

Kilauea’s sister volcano, Mauna Kea, is taller than Mount Everest

Mauna Kea’s summit registers at about 14,000 feet above sea level. But from its base, which is on the ocean floor, the mountain is approximately 33,500 feet tall — nearly a mile taller than Mount Everest (29,029 feet), according to the USGS.

Steaming cracks at 5:57 a.m. Friday in Leilani Estates subdivision, moments before a fissure opened up on Kaupili Street. (HVO/Special to West Hawaii Today)

Volcanic eruptions continue in Leilani Estates, with at least four fissures having formed by Friday afternoon, according to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The fissures involve mostly vigorous spattering and lava has yet to travel more than tens of yards from the vents.

According to Civil Defense, the fissures are located on Makamae and Mohala streets in the lower portion of the subdivision.

Janet Babb, HVO spokeswoman, said one was actively spattering as of 8:40 a.m., but activity can change quickly.

“This is a completely dynamic situation, and changes can occur or could occur with little warning,” she said.

Additional outbreaks are likely, and ground deformation and earthquakes continue in the area. The vents are preceded by ground cracking and strong gas emissions. Meanwhile, the lava lake continues to drop at Kilauea’s summit, HVO said.

Hawaii County Police warned that ground cracks were seen on Leilani Avenue and that people should avoid that area.

Hawaii Fire Department says there are “extremely high” levels of dangerous sulfur dioxide gas detected in the evacuation area.

The first fissure opened on Mohala Street on Thursday afternoon and extended 150 to 200 yards by the evening.

All residents of Leilani and Lanipuna Gardens are told to evacuate. Shelters are open at the Pahoa and Keaau community centers.

Pohoiki Road is closed from Highway 132 to Highway 137 to allow evacuation efforts to proceed.

Due to the eruption, Kua O Ka La Charter School, Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science, Keonepoko Elementary School, and all Pahoa schools are closed.

Puna Geothermal Venture shut down Thursday following the eruption.

A temporary flight restriction is in place. Drones can be confiscated.

Hawaii Electric Light Co. Rhea Lee-Moku said there are reports of outages in Kaumana and parts of Hilo following a magnitude-6.9 earthquake at 12:33 a.m. Friday. It came about an hour after another temblor that registered a 5.6-magnitude. Both were located on the south flank at Kilauea.